Palm Springs Police release critical incident debrief on fatal officer-involved shooting
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The Palm Springs Police Department has released a critical incident debrief video detailing the events surrounding an officer-involved shooting that occurred on May 28, 2026, that left one person dead.
The incident began at approximately 3:41 p.m. in the 1200 block of East Palm Canyon Drive, after officers responded to multiple reports of a man allegedly acting erratically and threatening employees at a local business with a knife. According to police, dispatchers received information that the suspect was armed and behaving aggressively, prompting an emergency response.
Upon arrival, officers located the suspect, now identified as Gilberto Flores, of Desert Hot Springs, and attempted to de-escalate the situation, speaking with Flores for over 40 minutes. Authorities say officers issued repeated verbal commands and employed less-lethal options in an effort to gain compliance.
"However much time it takes to get that resolved peacefully is what we try to do," said Capt. Gustavo Araiza with the Palm Springs Police Department in an interview with News Channel 3.
Officers employed two tasers and one less lethal 40mm sponge round in an effort to disarm Flores. Police state Flores continued advancing while armed with a knife, leading officers to discharge their firearms.
Flores was struck during the encounter and transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries. No officers or members of the public were injured during the incident.
The newly released critical incident debrief includes body-worn camera footage, drone footage, radio communications, and an overview of the timeline leading up to the shooting. The department said the video is intended to provide transparency while acknowledging that the investigation remains ongoing.
Police said anyone who wanted more information about any officer-involved shootings in Palm Springs could visit its transparency portal, which you can find by clicking here.
In the incident video released by the department, Chief Andy Mills spoke of the unfortunate end to the incident: "We use time, talk and tactics to be able to resolve these things as peacefully as possible. Unfortunately, it's not always possible."
The chief continued, "When you put one of our officers in immediate jeopardy of being stabbed, our officers had to respond with lethal force. It's important for our officers to go home every night at the end of their watch to their families. And unfortunately, sometimes people won't allow us to make any other decision."
In the aftermath of the shooting, the department hopes to create more resources and teams capable of handling mental health crises as they look towards resolving situations like these peacefully.
In the 40 minutes officers spent trying to talk Flores down from the second floor of the building, officers with the department's CBAT (Community Behavioral Assessment Team) were also on scene. Capt. Araiza said that team is comprised of two people: an officer, well-trained in crisis negotiation, and a clinician from Riverside County. News Channel 3 covered the beginning of that partnership in 2025.
Now, though, Capt. Araiza and Lt. Michael Torres said they want to see additional resources to be devoted towards those in crisis. They pointed to teams that could respond to similar situations and provide a full suite of mental health services, from clinicians to defuse a mental health crisis to a nurse who could administer medication. Then, afterwards, they hoped that team could help conduct aftercare and check-in appointments.
Capt. Araiza said that model was showing signs of success elsewhere in Riverside County: "That onsite response is something that we're looking at to bring. It's already in the county, but we're trying to bring it to the east end of the county. A lot of the agencies on the west end are already looking and deploying these these types of tools."
As is standard protocol for officer-involved shootings in Riverside County, the investigation is being conducted by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office Force Investigation Detail. Following the investigation, the Riverside County District Attorney's office will independently review the findings to determine whether the officers' actions complied with department policy and California law.
The Palm Springs Police Department will also conduct an administrative review to determine if department personal acted in accordance with policy, training and professional standards.
Police have encouraged anyone with additional information, photographs, or video of the incident to contact investigators.
